March 2004 postings
How not to buy a shoddy home - The downside legacy of this country's decade-old building boom includes suburban sprawl, congested highways and tract after tract of cookie-cutter houses. Now add to that a rise in the incidence of serious defects in new or young homes. Faulty foundations, severe moisture intrusion and shoddy framing are commonly at the root of problems that manifest themselves as gaping cracks, rotting walls and windows and doors that don't close tight. Often these problems show up months or even years after the buyer has moved in and the builder has moved on. - More>>